Action for keyed zithers.



P. MENZBNHAUER.

ACTION FOB, KEYED ZITHERS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5, 1913 1 1 1 3,033. Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

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THE NORIRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTD-LITHUH wAsHlNcmN. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK MENZENHAUER, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

ACTION FOR KEYED ZITHEES.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FBEDnRIoK MENZEN- HAUEIgacitizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, in thecounty of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new andImproved Action for Keyed Zithers, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to zithers and like instruments provided withaccompaniment strings conveniently grouped to form chords and an openscale of melody strings preferably arranged in pairs.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved keyboardattachment for stringed musical instruments of the type referred to andarranged to simplify the construction to reduce the cost ofmanufacturing to a minimum, to permit con venient adjustment of theactuating parts and to allow of producing a tremolo effect whenever itis desired to do so by the player.

In order to accomplish the desired result, use is made of pivotallymounted keys, a set of spring hammers below the keys and bearing againstthe under side of the free ends of the keys, and means to limit the downward swinging motion of a key when pressed downward and to allow acorresponding hammer to vibrate freely during the time the key is heldin the pressed position. Use is also made of a single means engaging allthe keys for holding the same normally in the same plane against thepressure of the spring hammers.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented intheaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indi cate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the keyed zither provided with the improvedaction; Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section of the same on the line 2-2of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the same on the line 33 ofFig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a plan view of part of the supporting bar for therear ends of the hammer springs.

In actions for stringed musical instruments of the type above referredto and as heretofore constructed it has been diflicult to produce awell-sounding tremolo effect owing to the fact that the spring hammerafter being set in vibration by pressing a corresponding key and holdingthe same Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 5, 1913.

Patented Oct. 6, 1914. Serial No. 777,393.

pressed could not freely vibrate throughout the length of the spring andhence the string was not properly sounded and a harsh tremolo effect wasthe result. Heretofore considerable difliculty has been experienced bothby the manufacturer as well as by the user of the instrument to properlyaline the keys, as such alinement was generally accomplished by the useof adjusting screws, one for each key. lVith the improvement presentlyto be described in detail aclear tremolo effect is produced and the keysare simultaneously alined by a single means.

The keyed zither shown in the drawings comprises a sounding board a overwhich are stretched the accompaniment strings I) and the melody strings0 preferably grouped in pairs. To the top of the sounding board a issecured an action frame consisting of side pieces A and a rear cross barA conmeeting the said side pieces A with each other, the said sidepieces being located adjacent the sides of the series of melody stringsc. The rear ends of the keys d are mounted to swing on a rod f attachedto the action frame and carrying washers g for spacing the keys (Z. Eachof the spring hammers consists of a long, fiat spring 6 provided at itsfree forward end with a hammer head 6, the rear end of each spring 6being secured to a supporting bar an attached to the beveled rear edgeof a bar y fastened at its ends to the side pieces A of the action frame(see Fig. By reference to Fig. 2 it will be noticed that the hammers arearranged above the strings c and below the keys d, and the under sidesof the free ends of the keys d are engaged by the hammer springs e at apoint intermediate the ends of the springs so that the latter exert anupward pressure on the keys d. It will also be noticed that each hammerspring 6 from its point of attachment to the bar m is curved upwardlyand forwardly so that the hammer head 6 is a considerable distance abovethe corresponding string 0 to provide a long range of movement for thehammer head in order to strike the corresponding string 0. By thearrangement the hammer head 6 can sound the string 0 with more or lessforce with a view to produce the desired pianissimo or forte effect. Itis understood that in order to sound a string 0 once the player pressesand quickly releases the corresponding key 0:? so that the hammer head 6strikes the string 0 but once, and then the hammer immediately returnsto its normal inactive position and with it the key (Z.

The under sides of the free ends of the keys (Z are provided with feltpieces 2' for the hammer springs e to rest on, and the said felt pieces2' are adapted to rest on stops 71, preferably made of felt and securedto the top of the bar at the front end thereof. The stops it arearranged to permit the hammer springs e to pass between adjacent stopsat the time a key (Z is pressed and the corresponding hammer is causedto swing downward. Now it will be noticed that when the key is presseddownward and held against the stops n then the hammer spring eis free tovibrate in the space between the said stops and as the vibrations have ashort range the string 0 is repeatedly sounded in quick succession and atremolo effect is produced. As soon as the player releases the pressedkey the hammer returns to its normal inactive position and in doing soswings the corresponding key (Zback into normal horizontal position. Inpractice, the under side of the forward end of each key (Z is providedwith a piece of felt i to soften the contact between the hammer spring 6and the corresponding key.

In order to provide a single means for holding all the keys normally inthe same plane against the pressure of the hammer springs e, thefollowing arrangement is made: The forward end of each key (Z isprovided with a reduced portion (Z preferably covered at the top by apiece of felt it and the several pieces of felt 72. are simultaneouslyengaged by a stop board secured to the side pieces A of the actionframe. It will be noticed that by this arrangement all the keys (Z arenormally held in the same plane and against upward swinging motion, andat the same time the keys cZ hold the spring hammers under stress sothat the spring hammers press the keys against the stop board 70. It isevident that without the alining means described the keys would be swungupward by the spring hammers into upwardly-inclined positions and as theresiliency of the spring hammers varies the keys would assume differentinclined positions so that the keys could be properly played only withgreat difficulty. The under side of the stop board is is provided nearits front end with a strip of felt Z forming a stop for the hammer heads6 to assist in limiting the upward swinging movement of the springhammers. By the arrangement described each spring hammer abuts againstthe pieces of felt ii and Z to prevent rattling of the spring hammers.

Although I have shown and described the preferred form of stop board itis evident that I do not limit myself to the detail constructiondisclosed for accomplishing the desired result.

The several springs e of the hammers have their rear ends cast in thestrip to made of soft i ietal, the strip in turn being attached byscrews or other means to the beveled rear edge of the cross bar By thisarrangement the expense of construction is considerably reducedespecially as the several ha nmers can be readily fastened in place byattaching the strip m to the bar j.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. in combination, a Zither having a sound board and strings stretchedover the same, an action frame attached to the said sound board, aseries of spring hammers above the strings, means for attaching the rearends of the springs to the said action frame, keys having their rearends pivoted on the said action frame and each being pressed on at theunder side of its free end by a corresponding spring hammer, and analining board held on the top of the said action frame and engaged byall the keys and holding the same normallyin the same plane against thepressure of the said spring hammers, the said alining board leaving theupper portions of the free ends of the keys wholly unobstructed topermit the keys to be pressed by the player.

2. in combination, a zither having sound board and strings stretchedover the same, an action frame attached to the said sound board, aseries of spring hammers above the strings, means for attaching the rearends of the springs to the said action frame, keys having their rearends pivoted on the said action frame and each being pressed on at theunder side of its free end by a corresponding spring hammer, and analining board held on the top of the said action frame and engaged byall the keys and holding the same normally in the same plane against thepressure of the said spring hammers, the said alining board leaving theupper portions of the free ends of the keys wholly unobstructed topermit the key to be pressed by the player, the said alining boardforming a stop for the free ends of the said spring hammers.

3. In combination, a zither having a sound board and strings stretchedover the same, an action frame attached to the said sound board, aseries of spring hammers above the strings, means for attaching the rearends of the springs to the said action frame, keys having their rearends pivoted on the said action frame and each being pressed on at theunder side of its free end by a corresponding spring hammer, the freeend of each key being provided at its bottom portion with a projection,and an ali'nin'g board secured to the top of the said action frame andengaged by the projections of all the keys and holding the same normallyin the same plane against the pressure of the said spring hammers, thesaid alining board being in a plane below the plane of the top of thekeys to allow pressing of the keys by the player.

4. In combination, a zither having a sound board and strings stretchedover the same, an action frame attached to the said sound board andprovided with a cross bar having spaced stops, keys pivoted on the saidaction frame and adapted to rest on the said cross bar stops whenpressed to their full extent,

' and spring hammers attached to the said cross bar and arranged abovethe said strings and below the said keys" to be actuated by the latter,the said spring hammers bearing against the under side of the said keys,and each spring hammer being free to vibrate in the space betweenadjacent stops of the cross bar after the key is pressed down intocontact with the cross bar.

5. In combination, a zither having a sound board and strings stretchedover the same, an action frame attached to the said sound board andprovided with a cross bar having spaced stops, keys pivoted on the saidaction frame and adapted to rest on the said cross bar stops whenpressed to their full extent, spring hammers attached to the said crossbar and arranged above the said strings and below the said keys to beactuated by the latter, the said spring hammers bearing against theunder side of the said keys, and each spring hammer being free tovibrate in the space between adjacent stops of the cross bar after thekey is pressed down into contact with the cross bar, and an aliningboard attached to the said action frame and engaged by all the keys, thesaid board forming a stop to limit the upward movement of the keys.

6. In combination, a zither having a sound board and strings stretchedover the same, an action frame attached to the said sound board andprovided with a cross bar having a beveled rear edge and having spacedstops at the top front portion, keys pivoted on the said action frameand adapted to rest on the front stops of the said cross bar whenpressed down to their full extent, and spring hammers attached to thesaid beveled edge of the said crossbar and arranged above the saidstrings and below the said keys to be actuated by the latter forsounding the strings, the said spring hammers bearing against the underside of the free ends of the hammers, and each spring hammer being freeto vibrate in the space between adjacent stops of the cross bar afterthe key is pressed down into contact with the cross bar.

Signed at New York, this 3rd day of July, 1913.

FREDERICK MENZENHAUER.

Witnesses:

MAY F. MULLEN, MARIE LEAHY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

